Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-01-07
THE STORY OF MUsTAPHA.
An Old Romance of Bob Burtlette's, but .
(sOot1 One

Good One.
Now in the sixth month in the reign
# the good Caliph it was so that Mus
apha said: II am worried with much
work; thought, care, and worry have
worn me out; need repose, for the
land of exhaustion is upon me, and
leath even now ieth at the door,"
And he called his physician, who felt
his pulse and looked upon his tongue,
md said: "Two-dollahs!" For this
was the oath by which all physicians
swore.) "Of verify, thou must have
rest. Flee unto the valley Of quiet and
close thine eyes in dreamful rest; hold
back thy brain from thought and thy
hand from labor, or you will be can
didate for the asylum in three weeks"
And he heard him, and went out and
put the business in the hands of the
clerk and went away to rest in the
valley of quiet. And he went to his
Uncle Ben's, whom he had not seen for,
10! these fourteen years. Now, his
Uncle Ben was farmer, and abode in
the valley of rest, and the mountains of
repose rose about him. And he was
rich and we'll favored, and strong as an
OK and healthy as an onion crop. Oft
times he boosted unto lis neighbors
that there was not a lazy bone in his
body, and he swore that he hated o
lazy man.
And Mustapha visit not that it was So
But when he reached his Uncle
Ben's they received him with great joy,
and placed before him q supper of
homely viands, we'll cooked, and piled
up on his plate like the wreck of box
car, and when he could not eat it all
they laughed him to scorn.
And after supper they sat up with
him and talked with him about relatives
whereof he had never, in all his life, so
much as heard. And he answered their
questions at random, and lied unto
them, protesting to know Uncle Ezra
and Aunt Bethesda, and once he said he
had letter from Uncle George last
week.
Now, they oil knew Uncle George
was shot in neighbours sheep pen
three years ago, but Mustapha visit not
that it was so, and he was sleepy and
only talked to fill up the time. And
then they talked politics to him, and he
hated politics. So about l o'clock in
the morning they sent him to bed.
Now the spare room wherein he slept
was right under the roof, and there
were ears and bundles of ears of seed
corn hung from the rafters, and he
bunged his eye with the same, and he
hooked his chin in festoons CT dried
apples, and shook dried herbs and seeds
down his back as he walked along, for
it was dark. And when he sat up in
bed at night he ran scythe into his
ear.
And it was that the boys slept with
him, for the bed was wide. And they
were restless and slept crosswise and
kicked, so that Mustapha slope not q
wink that night, neither closed he his
| eyes.
And about the fourth hour after mid
night his Uncle Ben smote him on the
back and spake unto him, saying:
Awake, arise, rustic out of this and
wash your face, for the liver and bacon
is fried and the breakfast waiteth. You
will find the we'll down at the other end
of the COW lot. Take towel with you.
When they had eaten his Uncle Ben
spake unto him, saying: "Come, let us
stroll around the farm" And they
walked about eleven miles. And his
Uncle Ben sat him upon a wagon and
taught him how to load hay Then
they drove into barn and they taught
him to unload it. Then they girded
up their loins and walked about four
miles, even into the forest, and his
Uncle Ben taught him how to chop
wood, and they walked back to supper.
And thus were the morning and even
ing of the first day, and Mustapha
wished that he were dead.
And after supper his Uncle Ben
spake once more and said: "Come, let
us have some fun" And so they hooked
up team and drove nine miles down to
Belcher's branch, where there was a
hop. And they danced until the second
hour in the morning.
When the next day was come, which
wasn't long, for already the night was
far spent, his Uncle Ben took him out
and taught him how to make rail fence.
And that night there was wedding,
and they danced and made merry, and
drank and ate, and when they went tc
bed at o'clock Mustapha prayed that
death might come to him before break.
fast time.
But breakfast had an early start and
got there first. And his uncle Ben
took him down to the creek, and taught
him how to wash and shear sheep. And
when the evening was come they went
to spelling school, and they got home
at the first hour after midnight, and
Uncle Ben marveled that it was SC
early. And he lighted his pipe and sat
up for an hour, and told Mustapha all
about the forty he bought last spring Of
old Mosey Stringer to finish out that
north half, and about the new colt that
was foaled last spring.
And when Mustapha went to bed that
morning he bethought him of q dose Of
strychnine he had with him, and he said
his prayers YEARLY. and he took it!
But the youngest boy was restless
that night, and kicked all the poison out
of him in less than ten seconds.
And in the morning while it was yet
light, they ate breakfast. And his
uncle then took him out, and taught
him how to dig ditch. And when
evening was come there was revival
| n,oo+;no a. Ehonazar Math o1ist Ch11ycb